Collectors, Cabinets of Curiosity and the Natural World

In the sixteenth century, cabinets of curiosities were assembled with the desire to gather knowledge from both the natural and cultural worlds. As such, they became synonymous with the experience of wonder and delight, if not surprise. The cabinets were private and therefore only a limited circle of people had access. However, by the eighteenth century the cabinets had become increasingly popular and accessible to more people, laying in the process foundations for the development of private and public museums.